Harry Redknapp appears to make Nazi salute as he jokes Thomas Tuchel is 'German spy' | OneFootball

The new England manager was compared to propagandist Lord Haw-Haw

Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp appeared to make a Nazi salute after joking that England head coach Thomas Tuchel was "a German spy" when speaking at a charity event.

The 78-year-old former West Ham, Portsmouth and Spurs boss was speaking in front of an audience at an event in London - before Tuchel led England to back-to-back World Cup qualifying wins over Albania and Latvia in his first games in charge - and his comments were met with widespread laughter from the audience.

"I'll be honest with you, I think he's a German spy. I'm telling ya," Redknapp is seen saying in the video, which appears to have been filmed by an audience member.

"Seriously, he's been sent over to f*** us up. He has. I'm telling ya, he's like Lord Haw Haw in the war – 'We have your best soldiers captured' and all that."

Redknapp imagined Tuchel had been told, "Go over and ruin that team," before raising his hand in what appeared to be a Nazi salute.

William Joyce, known as Lord Haw-Haw, broadcast Nazi propaganda to the UK during the second world war.

Redknapp has been approached for comment.

Tuchel was named as Gareth Southgate's permanent successor, following Swede Sven Goran-Eriksson and Italian coach Fabio Capello in coaching England.

Before Eddie Howe's Newcastle won the League Cup earlier this month, Redknapp was the last English coach to win a major trophy, leading Portsmouth to the 2008 FA Cup.

He also enjoyed a successful spell with Spurs, who he guided into the Champions League for the first time, and coached Bournemouth, Southampton, QPR, the Jordan national team and, most recently, Birmingham in 2017.

He was heavily linked with the England job as a successor to Capello, but the role instead went to Roy Hodgson.